THE CHOCOLATE MAKING PROCESS

For most commercial chocolate beans are blended with beans from different countries according to each manufacturer's recipe. The exception is for Origin or Single Bean Chocolate varieties although these high quality product represent a tiny percentage of the chocolate produced.

Cleaning gets rid of unwanted twigs, stones etc. for the roasting process. Roasting time and temperature are important to end product. The higher the temperature, the more bitter the chocolate so the more need for sugar etc. this is particularly common in the US. In Europe, beans are roasted at a lower temperature for a longer time and therefore have a richer flavour so less sugar is needed.

The nib is then separated from shell with a mill in a process called kibbling. These are then ground to produce cocoa mass or liquor (an average cocoa bean contains 55 % cocoa butter). Sugar is then added and the mixture is kneaded into a dough.

The dough is then refined through five revolving steel rollers which reduces all the solid particles to 20 microns - or less for top quality chocolate. The 'mixture' which comes off at the top of the fifth roller is in powder or flake form which is barely perceptible to the touch. At this stage the chocolate contains approximately 55% cocoa butter.

The mixture is then conched which is essential at this stage for smoothness - called because the paddles used to look like shells and conch is Spanish for shell. The friction of the paddles, which are formed like a giant mixer, creates heat which melts all components so becomes liquid. More cocoa butter is added now - depending on the recipe. This homogenises the chocolate, develops the flavour and refines the particles.

The longer the 'conch' the better but ... not so long ago, it was a sign of a good chocolate when it was conched for four or five days. Today's technology has changed that to eight or ten hours.

The conching time should be long enough to drive off the unwanted volatile oils and bitterness but not too long to also get rid of some of the more complex chocolate flavours. Cocoa contains over 400 flavour compounds.

Liquid chocolate is 'loaded' on to thermostatically controlled tankers for national and international distribution OR is tempered to ensure proper crystallisation of cocoa butter and its even dispersal throughout the chocolate. Chocolate is then moulded into the familiar blocks that we buy!

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Some cocoa facts

* Cocoa contains over 400 flavour compounds

* An average cocoa bean contains 55% cocoa butter

* Ideally chocolate should contain a minimum cocoa content of 60%+ for dark and 30%+ for milk

* The higher the roasting temperature, the more bitter the chocolate, so more sugar needs to be added